Thursday 16 August
2012
Civil Society
highlights SOPACs corruption of the precautionary
principle and questions EU support for a reckless approach to development that
would be unacceptable in its own member countries.
Civil society in the Pacific voiced their
concern
about
SOPAC Director
Russell Howarth's misrepresentation of the intent of
the precautionary principle during the Rio+20 meeting in June this year. In his
speech at Rio, Howarth revealed that his priority is to promote the interests of
foreign mining companies at the expense of communities and the marine ecosystems
on which they rely.
The precautionary principle places the onus on
developers to prove that harm will not occur to communities or ecosystems prior
to a development gaining approval. The principle requires that a development
would not proceed in the face of insufficient understanding about its impacts.
In contrast, SOPAC's head advocates that the lack of scientific information
about impacts should not be used as a reason for postponing deep sea mining
projects.
Dr. Helen Rosenbaum, campaign coordinator for the
Deep Sea Mining campaign in Australia and author of Out of Our Depth: Mining the Ocean Floor in Papua
New Guinea said, SOPAC's director
essentially agrees with us that there's insufficient scientific data about the
impacts of deep sea mining. However, that's where we part company.
We call for full understanding about impacts before
exploration or exploitation of deep sea mineral resources is permitted. Howarth
on the other hand entirely ignores his duty of care to Pacific communities.
He's willing to sacrifice their well being for perceived profits. And who will
benefit from those profits?
If the deep sea mining test case, Solwara 1 in PNG,
is anything to go by then very little benefit will accrue to the communities who
will be affected by the project - $5 in every $1000 earned by the company.
The European
Union is funding SOPAC's drive to develop a regulatory system for sea bed
mining in the Pacific. The
EU's
Communication
on the Precautionary Principle describes a rigorous risk assessment process that strives to provide a
high level of protection to humans and the environment.
Phil McCabe
from Kiwis against Seabed Mining (KASM) asked how can the EU fund a regulatory
system in the Pacific underpinned by the reckless approach advocated by SOPAC.
It's entirely at odds with the European Union's Precautionary Principle's
thorough risk analysis process.
It's
also at odds with the UN Oceans
Compact
launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon at the Law of the Sea Conference in
Korea on the 12th August
2012.
According to Kerry Tetzlaff , law lecturer at the
University of the South Pacific, the Pacific needs to proceed with a high degree of caution due to
scientific and technological uncertainty, lack of institutional and regulatory
frameworks, and issues with transparency, accountability as well as enforcement
capacity.
Ms Tetzlaff, who is also Member of
the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law
further states, the stakes are high both for the environment and the future
of Pacific Islanders. It could be argued that an even higher degree of caution
should be exercised than in similar circumstances in the developed
world.
For more
info, please contact:
Dr. Helen Rosenbaum (Australia), hrose@vic.chariot.net.au +61 413 201 793
Kerry Tetzlaff (London), kerry.tetzlaff@usp.ac.fj, Skype: kerrytetzlaff +44 795 102 9813
Phil McCabe (New Zealand), phil@solscape.co.nz +64 27 2943 451
Kerry Tetzlaff (London), kerry.tetzlaff@usp.ac.fj, Skype: kerrytetzlaff +44 795 102 9813
Phil McCabe (New Zealand), phil@solscape.co.nz +64 27 2943 451
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